Miri – 20 March 2012 – Professor Dr. Nader Nassif Barsoum, an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering and Science, at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) was among the speakers at the Renewable Energies and Hybrid Technologies Promotional Luncheon held in Perth, Western Australia, recently.

The event was hosted by the International Centre for Industry Development (ICID), a subsidiary of the Australian company Global Research and Intelligence Network Pty Ltd. (GRAIN) and sponsored by the Sarawak Convention Bureau.

Held at the Hyatt Regency Perth, the event was attended by academics, professionals from the renewable energy and hybrid technologies sector, and decision makers from various organisations including the Australian Solar Energy Society; Sustainable Water and Power Solutions; Sustainable Energy Association of Australia; Uniflow Power Ltd.; Gold Fields Australia and Verve Energy. Also in attendance was the Malaysian Consul-General in Perth, Hamidah Ashari.

The luncheon was aimed at providing the attendees current information on renewable energy opportunities in Malaysia and how Western Australian organisations can benefit from them. The event also served as a showcase for the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Solar and Hybrid Technologies (SOLARTECH 2013) to be hosted by the Asia Pacific Society for Solar and Hybrid Technologies (APSSAHT) in partnership with the ICID in Kuching, Sarawak, by March next year.

Professor Dr. Nader, who is the president of the APSSAHT and co-convenor of SOLARTECH 2013 with ICID secretariat Scott Campbell, gave a presentation on the upcoming conference. Campbell, and Dr. Peter Thong from China, highlighted business opportunities for Western Australian organisations in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), and current trends in renewable energies in Asia, respectively.

Following the luncheon, the conference hosts met with the Western Australia Minister of Energy, the Honourable Peter Charles Collier, to discuss current trends in renewable energy and hybrid technology in Malaysia and Western Australia. They also informed the Minister about the conference and intended support from Western Australia. The Minister was supportive and expressed interest in assisting the conference committee.

According to Professor Dr. Nader, the luncheon was a good opportunity for the committee to build relationships with organisations and professionals within the industry in Western Australia.

“This will assist the committee in achieving the conference objectives of raising delegate attendance, sponsorship and exhibition sales, partnering opportunities, and the securing of speakers,” said Professor Dr. Nader.

He added that many of the luncheon attendees foresee a greater development of the renewable energy industry in Malaysia given the increasing number of Western Australian companies expanding their businesses in Malaysia.

For more information on Curtin Sarawak, visit the university’s website at www.curtin.edu.my. More information on the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Solar and Hybrid Technologies can be found at www.solartech2013.org/index.php.

The Asia Pacific Society for Solar and Hybrid Technologies (APSSAHT) is a non-profit organisation promoting the growth and development of solar and hybrid technology within the Asia Pacific region. APSSAHT supports its members through providing conferences and events, professional development opportunities and networking throughout the industry in order to grow and promote the development of the industry.